Traction-railroad



(NuModel.)

W. B. REANEY.

A TRAGTION RAILROAD. No. 281.924. wlgigpted July 24, 1883.v

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UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. nnANnY, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRACTION- RAILROAD.

VSEIIi`] I(LATO1\l' forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,924, dated J'uly 24, 1883.

Application filed April 3, 1882. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. REANEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Traction-Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of railways in which an underground traction-rope is used for traversing the cars; and the objects of my invention, which is fully described hereinafter, are to make a substantial road of this class, to afford ready access to the underground tubes and pulleys for the traction-rope, and especially for affording facilities for altering ordinary street-railways to traction-roads.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improvements in traction-railroads; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line l 2; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 4, and Fig. 4 a view drawn to a reduced scale and illustrating the mode of applying my improvement to existing tracks.

A A are the opposite sills or longitudinal sleepers, and a c the usual rails, of an ordinary street-railway.

The structure to which my invention relates consists of a succession of sections, B B B, &c., of cast-iron, each section being composed of a central tube, b, and certain arms referred to hereinafter, the tube being by preference about'eight feet long and about twelve inches in internal diameter, and having in the top and from end to end a contracted longitudinal. opening, d, bounded by two flanges, c c, which also extend from end to end of the tube. The slot is for receiving the device by which the car is connected to the tractioirrope; but as this device forms no part of my present invention, further allusion to it here will be unnecessary. From each side of the tube of each section project arms f, f, and f2, three arms on each side being deemed sufficient for a tube eight feet in length; but it should be understood that I do not restrict myself to the length of the tube in each section, nor to any specific number of arms. The end arms f and fmay be lighter than the intermediate arm or arms, for the end arms f2 of one section are bolted to the end arms f of the adjoining section, the united arms being therefore as strong as the solid intermediate arms. Vhile these arms may be secured to `flanges on the tube, I prefer to cast thel arms on' the tube, asshown. Each arm is provided with two lugs, t' i, one fitting to one side and the other to the opposite side of the longitudinal sill or sleeper beneath which the arm extends. tervals I make on one of the sections, preferably on every fifth section, an enlargement, h, f

(best observed in Fig. 3,) this enlargement eX- tending laterally beyond the tube and downward below the same, so as to form a chamber, G, communicating with the tubes of all `the sections.

A pit, H, lined preferably with wood, is made in a street at a short distance from the railway-track, this pit, which is covered by a movable plate, m, communicating with the chamber G through a passage, I.

To the bottom of the chamber G is secured a standard, n, in which is a bearing for one of the journals of the grooved pulley K, on which the traction-rope M bears, the bearing for the other journal of the pulley being in a bracket, p, secured to the closed side of the chamber G.

Any water which may gain access to the pit H or to the tubes or chamber G is drained off from the latter through apipe, w, which communicates with `any neighboring sewer.

The bottom and sides of theV passage I, between the vault'H and chamber G, may be of "wood, but the to'p consists, by preference, of

a cast-iron plate, q, for supporting the pavement, one end of the plate resting on a ledge, y, of the extension h, and the other end fitting against the lining of the vault.

On removing the cover-plate mof the vault, access can be had to the chamberG and to the pulley and its bearings, and the pulley can be At suitable inreadily removed and a new pulley introduced without disturbing the roadway. Y

While my invention may be advantageously adopted in making new traction roads for street-cars, it is of especial advantage in alter ing ordinary horse-car roads to traction-roads, without materially interfering with the piassageof cars while the alterations are being made. In laying one of the sections, for instance, a trench just large enough to admit the central tube of a section is dug midway between the two rails of the track, and transverse trenches just large enough to admit the arms, such transverse ties as may be in the way be- IOC ing removed, after which the section is introduced into its place in the manner shown in Fig. 4, the arms of one section being passed beneath one of the sills far enough to permit the depression of the other arms, after which the section may be elevated, its arms and lugs properly adjusted to the under sides ofthe sills, and the trenches filled and properly packed. All this may be done during the night, when the travel of ears on the track has ceased, or When the ears succeed cach other at long intervals.

The vault, being outside the track, can be made, as also the passage I, Without interfering with the travel ofthe cars.

' rI do not-claim a traction-rope tube made in sections and havingV cast on it projecting arms for supporting the track-sillsg but I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patente XV. B. REANEY.

Vitnesses:

HARRY DRUM', HARRY SMITH. 

